This novel is a companion to
Wildwood Dancing, a parody of the twelve dancing princesses.
Cybele's Secret focuses on Paula, the second youngest and scholar of the family. She accompanies her father, a merchant, on a trading voyage to Istanbul. Here they intend to purchase the secret gift of Cybele, an ancient goddess worshiped long ago. It soon becomes clear upon arrival that their mission is a dangerous one, as they discover their colleague has been murdered. Rumours of the revival of the old pagan cult of Cybele circulate throughout the city, and Paula finds herself drawn to two very different men; a wealthy captain and the gentle man hired to protect her. As well, Paula begins to receive mysterious, other-worldly signs about the sacred artifact, and, along with her faithful bodyguard Stoyan, she struggles to decode them and discover Cybele's secret.
This book is MARVELOUS!! Everything about it drew me in. The characters were well rounded and felt so relatable and lovable. I found my self reading not only because the plot was good, but because the characters were so interesting. The setting, in Istanbul, was very vivid. Often when I'm reading a novel placed in another country, I have a hard time getting a good visual of the location in my head, but I had no problems with that this time. It was very easy to picture where Paula was and this led to a better understanding of the culture there. This book had just the right balance of mystery, adventure, suspense and romance. I couldn't put it down. I was up until 3:44 am reading it. Yes, I was very tired the next morning. Haha. But it was totally worth it!
On a side note, I would like to ask you to keep a friend of mine in your prayers, as her family is going through a hard time right now. Her dad is very sick, and they can't discover what is causing his illness. I would be so grateful if you would say a prayer for them.
